A COMPANY in Okehampton has been presented with Britain's highest award for businesses — the equivalent of an individual being knighted. Elemental Microanalysis has been named as a winner of the Queen's Award for Enterprise, the UK's highest accolade for business success. The company received its award for International Trade last Wednesday, in recognition of achieving increased year-on-year export sales over a six year period. The Lord Lieutenant of Devon, Sir Eric Dancer, presented company managing director Ian Smith with an engraved glass bowl and parchment signed by both the Queen and Prime Minister David Cameron to recognise the outstanding achievement. The Lord Lieutenant of Devon said: 'Each year when I get advance notice of the Queen's Awards being given out nationally, the first thing I do it look to see how many recipients there are in Devon. 'There are usually two or three companies, representing a whole variety of industries. Lots of people don't realise that our businesses have these sort of capabilities in Devon. 'It is a combined and collective effort over a number of years that earns this award. It is an absolutely outstanding achievement.' Elemental Microanalysis was founded in 1976 as an analytical laboratory conducting elemental analysis for customers, principally in the pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. The company still does this, though it is now a very small part of the overall business. The firm relocated to Okehampton in 1991 and over the years has expanded on its current site. Managing director Ian Smith said: 'I am very proud. It is quite an achievement for us being here in the back of rural Devon, being recognised for exporting sales internationally. 'It recognises our efforts up to last year, but this year things continue to go very well and we have moved on again as a company, with the business continuing to grow. 'In PR terms, the award is very important as it has connected us to a lot of things, with people understanding us more locally, and also opening up new connections nationally, which is proving very important. 'Little Elemental Microanalysis in Okehampton knows how to sell its products around the world, and that is something to be proud of. The fact we do this to the level we do is very unusual, and something to be proud of. 'We are committed to Okehampton, we love it here. 'It is a strange place to have an analytical business like us, away from the bright lights. But the location works really well for us, and we are proud of doing our bit for the community. 'We provide stable, well paid jobs, and as a company we are committed to the living wage. We also work with local suppliers and feed back into the local economy.' The company now employs 32 people, based on Hameldown Road. It manufactures products used every day by analytical chemists. Its product range encompasses reference materials, specialised chemical reagents, sample containers and other daily use items. Customers work in a wide range of different industries including academia, pharmaceuticals, food, agriculture, petrochemicals, iron and steel, and coal. The company exports all over the world, including across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America and to a limited extent, Africa. Winners of the Queen's Awards can expect an invitation to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace. They can also use the Queen's Award Emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging for a period of five years as a symbol of their quality and success. The awards are made annually by Her Majesty The Queen, and are only given for the highest levels of excellence demonstrated in each category.